VWcms  displays, edits and stores its content as HTML (XHTML in fact).

Each section shown in the table of content (to the left of this text) is composed and maintained as a relatively autonomous unit of information.  The various sections of the site can be (hyper-) linked between, providing an alternate way to navigate through the content.

When logged-in as a site manager the Manage Site navigation item opens an HTML editor at the section currently being viewed.  The editor allows content composition using a WYSIWYG interface, much like a simple word processor.  Below the editor are a number of additional,  VWcms content selectors and buttons.

The interface is shown in this graphic.

Within these controls are three important buttons:

• [Draft] performs two functions:
  
  
  1. It saves the current edit on-disk.  If the page containing the editor is moved away from any recent changes will be lost unless first saved by [Draft] or [Publish].
  2. It includes the current editor's user name and host.  This alerts other potential editors that the site is currently being modified.  It is important to [Draft] a site as soon as there is intention to change it in any way.  The alert is purely informational and another manager can inadvertantly (or maliciously) over-write in-progress changes.
      
• [Discard] deletes all previously saved drafts and consequently clears the "edit alert".
   
• [Publish] saves the current content (draft and any subsequent edit) to the live site.

Draft content is visible only to a logged-in manager.  It is used to modify site content to a satisfactory level before publishing it to the public site.  The draft persists over login-logout cycles and so may be used to retain in-progress modifications over the medium term before making them live.  Using [Draft] appropriately often during changes helps guarantee against significant loss.

Once published any existing draft is not automatically deleted.  The draft remains available as an alert and for further modification until explictly deleted using the [Discard] button.

Edit Changes

VWcms tracks editing changes to content and other site files and alerts the manager if the edit is about to be lost by navigating away from the editor  without saving  those changes.  Changes may be discarded by continuing.  Inadvertant loss can be avoided be by cancelling the alert, saving the changes appropriately and then recommencing the navigation.

Do not attempt to navigate backwards (using browser button or dialog) into an edit session.  It has been noted that commonly the edit session may have the appearance of containing the previous changes when saved they are actually absent.  This appears to be a browser behaviour.